How to find a date of birth

Written by cathryn whitehead| 13/05/2017

There are many reasons to search for someones date of birth. Perhaps you want to know the exact age of the boy that your daughter's dating or you want to celebrate with a friend or relative who's being secretive about the exact date. Whatever the reason, there are several ways to find a person's date of birth.

Things you need

Person's full name

State or county where the person was born

Check the vital records of the state where the person was born. You will need to know the approximate date of birth.

Check church records for a christening or a baptism. Dates of birth are usually on those records. You will need the person's name, the name of the church, or the name of the clergyman who signed the certificate.

Look in old newspapers for birth announcements or find a birth date in an obituary. You should know the approximate date of birth or death, the state, city or town the birth or death took place in, or the place an announcement or obituary was likely to be published.

Inquire for information from the International Genealogical Index (IGI). All you need to know is the person's name, but an approximate birth place and birth date help.

Find a person's birth date on the Social Security Index. All you need to know is his name.

Find birth dates in census records using the name, state and county the person lived in when the census was taken.

Find a person's birth date in military pension records. You will need a lot more information if you go this route including the veteran's name, branch of service, the state from which the veteran entered the service, and the war in which the veteran served. If the period of service was after 1916, you will also need entry and release dates, a military ID number, a social security number and whether the veteran was an officer or enlisted.